‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ Finds a ‘Harry Potter’ Director

Here's another reason to be excited for 'Harry Potter' spinoff film 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them': the new project has just taken on a director quite familiar with the wizarding world of Harry Potter. David Yates, who helmed four of the films in the series, is returning to tame the mythical beasts.

Variety reports that Yates, who directed the last four films in the series, including 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' parts 1 and 2, is returning to direct the spinoff film 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.' The new movie will be the first in a planned trilogy inspired by the Hogwarts textbook of the same name, which follows the adventures of the author, Newt Scamander.

'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling makes her screenwriting debut on the trilogy, which takes place about 70 years before the events of her original series, and is neither a prequel nor a sequel, but still takes place in the same world of witches and wizards.

Yates is currently busy in production on his 'Tarzan' film, so it may still be a little while before he gets around to filming 'Fantastic Beasts,' though the first film is still slated to hit theaters on November 18, 2016 -- just in time for the holiday season and a big cup of butterbeer.